Stealing Light

the long version

For a quarter of a million years an alien race has been hiding a vast and terrible secret. In the twenty-fifth century only the alien race known as the Shoal posesses the secret of FTL, faster - than - light travel, giving them absolute control over all trade and exploration throughout the entire galaxy. Mankind has operated within their influence for two centuries, establishing a dozen human colony worlds scattered along the conventional Shoaler trade routes. Dakota Merrick, while serving as a military pilot, has witnessed atrocities for which this alien breed is responsible Piloting a civilian cargo ship, she is currently ferrying an exploration team to a star system containing a derelict starship.